Tooth and Claw
by TheRealMomoisme
Summary: After a year of mated bliss, it has become clear that something is very wrong between the two wolves. Now it's up to Elayn to save Serana from what could be a worse curse than even vampirism. (This is a continuation of Silver and Gold /s/11409369/1/Silver-and-Gold )
1. Chapter 1

In the three decades of my life, I had come across many kinds of hunters. Some preferred small game that they could catch in cleverly placed traps. Others were poachers, who cared little for the thrill of the hunt, and only sought to feed their families. There were those who hunted the hunters; sabercats and bears and wolves. Many of them braved dangers that sane men would not, traversing icy land and freezing cold to find something worthy of a kill.

I don't think any of them have ever hunted mammoth packs.

I'm sure some would be willing, with great planning or numbers, to pick off a smaller mammoth at the edge of the pack, but I don't think any of them could or would be mad or drunk enough to attempt to hunt an entire herd and the giant guarding them. My sworn mate and I were not mad or drunk. We were werewolves, which to my mind was far worse than anyone touched by Sheogorath and Sanguine combined. Hircine was our lord, and it was so much fun.

Serana and I had watched the herd from a safe distance; in human form, of course. Our wolves would have been too tempted to spring for the obvious prey with little regard to safety or planning. For a week we watched and waited, following the herd and their guardian. The mammoths were herded near a swift-running stream every day at noon to drink and eat the grass that grew there. There were five, one male, three female, and a youngling. There were also, more importantly, slaughterfish in the stream. The giant stood between the herd and the stream to keep them away. With that information, we were ready.

At dawn, we extinguished the fire that marked our camp in the center of a clearing north of the stream, and set out as wolves. Though we couldn't speak with jaws full of fangs and lips more suited to snarling than speech, we could communicate clearly enough. The beasts that shared our hearts spoke through gestures and varying tones in growls and grunts. It was still a bit of a work in progress, though, so it was good that we coordinated before we changed shape.

The trek there took less than half the time, since we could run. Serana ran downstream, to a safe place to cross, and scaled the rocks that overlooked it. I waited in the bushes a little ways from a log that stuck halfway out of the water and halfway across. The sun climbed higher and higher in the sky, and at its peak, the mammoths arrived. As planned before, Serana waited a little while for the herd to settle.

And then the hunt began.

She let out a howl that split the skies and frightened the beasts into a run, trumpeting their panic. I bounded out of the bushes after them, leaping across the log to spring at the giant's back. It was so busy trying to calm the mammoths that it had no time to react before my fangs were in its neck. The body of the giant pitched backwards, and I barely had time to jump away before the corpse hit the water and the slaughterfish began their frenzy. The frothing of the water and a silver-eyed monster in their midst decided something for the mammoths that even the bloodcurdling howl of my mate had not, and they began to stampede.

I ran up to the side of one of the beasts and snapped, jaws clipping together over air and coarse, shaggy fur. The mammoth trumpeted shrilly and swerved to the side, careening into another. Serana covered the distance between the cliff and the older female lagging behind the herd. She followed my lead, snapping at the heels of the beasts and keeping them panicked, and we began to herd them into a small ravine.

At the end of the ravine was the small pass that the giant normally herded them through. They knew the way, and getting them there was simple. But it was no longer an escape to freedom; it was a trap. The night before, we had gone to the top of the ravine and pushed boulders over the edge. The mammoths didn't know that, and rounded the corner at full speed. We dispatched those that weren't immediately killed by the impact, and when the dust settled, we stood surrounded by several tons of flesh, bone, and fur. A very successful hunt.

For a wolf, the thrill of hunting and killing were almost identical to lovemaking. Werewolf packs were known for drunken revelries after a slaughter, that lesser men were known to die from, though honestly that was probably the drinks rather than the wolves themselves. Still, these were times of celebration, when inhibitions were low and energy high. We had no pack, yet we celebrated, and it was nearly dark before we came back to ourselves. The cool of Evening's Star in the east of Whiterun Hold only made us curl closer to each other.

It had been a very long time since any werewolf I had met had been one I'd run with as a wolf. Even Aela, who as a human I was more than happy to drink with- especially if she was buying- was not a wolf that I got along with. Both my wolf and I often felt she was more of a spoiled pup that enjoyed being the biggest and pulling the ears of other whelps. She revelled in the power of what she could do, of rending flesh on a whim rather than the sheer beauty of running through the trees with no fear, or singing to the moon.

Serana was different. Very different. The power was similar to that of what she held as a Daughter of Coldharbour, though she very rarely chose to wear the demonic visage Harkon had delighted in. She still lived much of her life as a hunter of men and mer, and she had a very healthy respect for the power she held as long as she had control. Only, for a werewolf, control could be hard to attain. Even more so if you weren't ready for the intensity of it. Sometimes, in fights, I could see the wolf in her fighting to the surface. She had to learn to control it, and soon, before another drunk Nord decided to pick a fight with her in some desolate town.

Serana seemed to notice the change in my mood, and leaned up on one arm to frown at me. "You're not usually this quiet. Is everything okay?"

I chuckled, a husky sound in the back of my throat, and shrugged as well as I could with my hands behind my head. "I'm just thinking. You know how difficult that is for me."

Her lips quirked, and her hand found its way to my hair. "What of?"

"Alduin," I lied, not wanting her to worry.

Though, that was only a lie by half. Ever since we had destroyed him the year before, shortly after dealing with Harkon, the fight had been on my mind. It had been a particularly grueling one despite the help of the warriors of Sovngarde. There had been moments where I was convinced I was very close to death, and worse moments when I thought she was.

Her silence was thoughtful. When it broke, her tone was comforting. "He is dead," she told me quietly. "You destroyed the World Eater entirely, I saw it too."

I drew myself up to kiss her, not wanting to discuss it, and ended any attempt at speech for a time.


	2. Chapter 2

The moon was high in the sky before we rose and made our way back to camp. I yawned as I dressed and stretched, somewhat resentful of the armor I wore when I wasn't running as a wolf, or doing other things. "I need to sleep in a real bed tonight," I groused.

Serana arched an eyebrow, silver eyes gleaming with amusement. Beyond the flush of life in her cheeks and the pulse of blood that was such a comfort for me to hear, she had changed very little. Where I had cut my hair short out of sheer frustration with brambles and tree sap, hers remained long, though now it was bound in a braid rather than the intricate style she had before. She still wore the vampiric armor, which sometimes drew stares from people who knew of the breed. Most importantly, she still managed to look imperiously amused and not infuriate me immediately.

"You're a werewolf and you're complaining that you don't have a real bed," she said slowly, as if trying to understand.

I scowled half-heartedly. "I've been spoiled by the new-blood I'm bound to." After a moment, I said, "I may also always have been somewhat spoiled when it came to the luxuries humans come up with."

"I take it your pack didn't have real beds?" Her voice was deceptively casual as she looked away to begin packing things away in the bags we carried.

I sighed heavily. "Serana, I'm fine. It was seventeen years ago. You don't have to beat around the bush. The ground around the bush actually looks like a saber cat got angry at it and decided to attack." More cheerfully, I said, "We really didn't. Some slept in wolf form, others on furs. The sick and the elderly were the only ones who had a real bed, and I was neither of those. But, since a certain vampire walked into my life, I have gone from sleeping in the corner to sleeping on a real bed, and I'm happy to keep it like that."

"I can't argue with that logic." She hid a smile, but I could hear the mirth in her voice. "We're only ten miles from a town with an inn; I think we passed it on the way here. We'll make it by dawn."

"That sounds good to me." And we set off, shouldering bags that might have knocked a typical Nord off his feet, and started off at a brisk trot.

Before the events of the Prophecy of the Sun, I slept at night and ran during the day. There were typically more people to frighten that way, because they travelled by day too. After all that, though, day turned into a time to sleep instead of to torment villagers. At first it was because Serana couldn't travel in the day as a vampire, but even as a werewolf she preferred to avoid it, and I was happy to oblige. It was near dawn when we walked into the inn, and most everyone was fast asleep, except the Nord behind the bar. We paid for our room and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. The dreams Hircine sent to his children- or allowed Vaermina to infect us with- were always so much calmer with her around, and I slept like a rock.

That is until I heard the screaming.

At first I thought I was ten years old again, hiding under a shelf and hoping the blood-sucking creatures wouldn't see me. But the screams were more terrified than challenging. Human. Something was happening, and when I reached out and met empty blankets, I knew Serana wasn't there. And I had a sinking feeling in my gut that I knew what had happened.

I threw on a hood and dashed out into the main room of the inn. I only looked for a moment, seeing bloodstains and unidentified body parts- and more importantly, gouges in the wood that looked just like the claws of a massive beast. Suspicion confirmed, I ran back into the room to dig a red-cloth-covered blade out of my bag, and then out into the night.

The light in the inn and the absence of light outside was blinding to me, and told me how long I had slept. Screams and wails of pain rent the air along with the roaring of a rampant werewolf. There she was, surrounded by guards and men armed with swords and bows. She was winning for now, but it would only be a matter of time before the sheer numbers overwhelmed her.

The knife burned cold underneath the cloth, and while I wished to fling it away, I gripped it tighter. "There's more in the trees!" I shouted, running into the fray.

The ploy did what I was aiming for. The mob ran for the forest at the edge of the town. If I had been in wolf form, I would have howled and summoned any nearby to protect their kin, but there was no time. Instead, I ran at Serana's back, and Hircine help me, I slashed the blade across the span of her shoulder blade. She bellowed in pain and fell, and I could see the transformation back into a human begin. I hauled her onto my shoulder as soon as I could and ran back into the inn to get what I could. It wasn't much; armor, a bag of gold, and my bow and quiver. We stole away under the cover of darkness on a stolen horse bound for Whiterun. I couldn't deny it anymore, Serana was out of control, and as much as I hated to admit it, the Companions might be her only hope. That thought only made me ride faster.


	3. Chapter 3

Two Nord women, one unconscious, wearing a cloak and tattered clothes, and slung across the other's back, arriving in a city in the middle of the afternoon might normally have drawn unwelcome attention, but as Thane, I was usually given the benefit of the doubt. The blood drew a few eyes, but no one really bothered us, which was probably best considering my complete lack of patience for anyone right then. I was too terrified by what had happened and what was to come.

"My Thane!" Lydia shot from her seat when she saw me, her book thudding to the floor. "Is Lady Serana hurt?"

I bit back a growl as the housecarl took the weight from my shoulders. She was only trying to help, and the muscles in my back certainly appreciated the relief, but my wolf was less than happy with anyone going near Serana. In fact, the entire situation, up to my cutting her with silver, was infuriating the creature, and fangs cut into my mind in punishment.

"In a manner of speaking," I muttered. "Take her upstairs."

The housecarl did as she was bid, carrying the woman upstairs and setting her on the large bed in my room. "Shall I fetch Danica?"

I shook my head sharply. "No. I need to see Farkas."

Lydia had clearly been trying to maintain a sort of stoicism through all this- she had to as my housecarl. This request shattered that, and she gaped. My dislike for him and his brother was well known. "Are… are you certain, my Thane?"

"Go!" I snapped, fear and frustration evident in my voice.

She left, leaving me alone with my mate. I hadn't been near a wolf poisoned by silver before, or seen myself suffering from it. It seemed awful. Her face was paler than I had seen since she became a werewolf, and tinged with green. I pulled her up a bit to get a look at her shoulder and hissed out a breath. The slash oozed green liquid, and the skin around it was slashed with purple. I set her back gently and went to the alchemy lab.

There was a potion I could make that cured the symptoms of silver poisoning immediately, but as I began to gather the ingredients, something stopped me. The slaughter had not come as a surprise, as much as I wanted it to have been. Every time we hunted, every time we travelled through towns and a drunkard would shout at us, and every time we made a kill, I saw her control slip a little more. It could have been a bar fight that set her off, or it could have been something as simple as an errant comment, but no matter what it had been, it meant she couldn't be trusted. She was dangerous.

I still mixed up the potion, just weaker than I normally would, and boiled some wine. On my way back upstairs, I grabbed some bandages as well. She was still asleep and only let out a quiet groan when I washed out the wound. The potion was dripped into the wound, which hissed like a snake, and her shoulder bound in clean linen. That done, I dressed her in plain clothes, set her back against the pillows to rest, and collapsed in the nearby chair.

Lydia's return with the Companion startled me out of a light sleep, mostly because the idiot wolf knocked nearly every cooking pot I had to the ground as he went past. I was awake and standing before they made it to the doorway, and lifted a lip in a snarl when he tried to walk in.

"This had better be important," he said in that oh-so-irritating baritone voice of his. "I was about to go on a job to Harvalstead. They said some sort of beast attacked the village and escaped in the night."

The look I gave him was nowhere near as withering as I would have liked because of my exhaustion, but I managed. "Large black beast that howled like something from Oblivion was after them and then disappeared very suddenly?"

The ever-present scowl deepened. "How did you know that?"

"I'd give you three guesses but that wouldn't be enough for you, would it?" The curl in my lip grew more pronounced as I stepped back to gesture to Serana. "There's your beast. She lost control in the middle of town."

Several things happened in quick succession. Farkas drew his sword, and had my dagger to his throat faster than he could draw while stuck in the doorway, and Lydia had her own sword ready to fight for her Thane. I looked up, meeting the wolf's eyes challengingly. "You won't touch her," I said, deceptively quiet. "You forsake Hircine's gift. I have his blessing. Who do you think would win that fight?"

I saw the warring indecision go through his head, as he tried to decide if it would be worth it in the end to just attack. Brains won over brawn- a first for him- and he stepped back, sheathing his sword. "Then what do you want to do?" he growled.

"I've lived my entire life with this gift. Controlling myself is simple- for the most part. I want your pack's help in teaching _her_ control." I stepped back, setting the dagger on the table. "Help me keep her safe."

I saw his eyes soften at the slight tremor in my voice. As much as it galled me to let him see me falter even for a moment, I would let it go if it meant helping Serana. He nodded. "I'll speak to Kodlak. We have a place to keep her for now." He turned to leave.

"Farkas," I called.

He stopped and looked back.

"Thank you."

He grunted and left.


	4. Chapter 4

I wanted to take Serana to Jorrvaskr immediately, but Farkas refused. "The less people have to put together, the safer it is," he reasoned.

Having to wait infuriated me, but what was more irritating was that he was right. Both of us knew of the Companion's enemies, the Silver Hand. They had tried to kill me more than once before. If they found out Serana had committed the killings in Harvalstead and that she was in Jorrvaskr, there was no telling what they might try to do. I was against bringing unnecessary trouble on the Companions while they were helping me, no matter how annoying I found some of them, so we waited.

Nightfall came and I carried her out of Breezehome and toward the great hall, following Farkas. He surprised me by passing the doors and leading me to the rocks below the Skyforge. A lever, hidden by rocks, shifted the boulder acting as a door with a scrape of stone. He pushed me inside when I hesitated, and lit a torch on the wall. Light flared up and blinded me for a moment, but I still saw the basin in the center of the chamber. I glanced at Farkas for an explanation, but he shook his head and I let it go.

There was a narrow fissure in the rock at the far end of the chamber that led to a room that looked a lot like the dungeons of a bandit fort I had once gotten caught in. The cell doors were clearly iron, but they glittered with shiny grey-ish white flecks that burned from ten feet away. Immediately I understood what they meant by containment, and a growl rumbled in my chest that was equal parts me and my wolf. I backed away from Farkas slowly, eyes wide with fury.

His scowl deepened and he stepped closer to loom over me. "Either you put her in that cage or I will," he growled.

I shifted my feet, tensing to move at a moment's notice. Normally in a space like this, my dagger would strike before he could draw the ridiculous greatsword he carried across his back, but Serana made the odds more even. If I could distract him for just a moment, I could slip the dagger on my belt between the plates covering his shoulder and his chest. I took in a breath, ready to Shout, when-

"Farkas!"

The man walking into the chamber was a definite distraction, but attacking now was suicide. Vilkas, the smarter twin, who was inarguably a more dangerous enemy, had just entered the dungeon. Only he wasn't glaring at me. Even more of a surprise was when he started scolding his brother.

"I was there when Kodlak agreed to help them," he said sternly. "I don't remember him telling you to force Elayn to lock her mate behind a silver door."

Farkas scowled and looked down, choosing to remain silent. Vilkas continued frowning at him until he moved to the side, and the smarter twin stepped forward. He kept a respectful distance from me, and I couldn't see any weapons on him. I relaxed, going from terrified to somewhat wary.

His voice was also baritone, but it missed the ever-present menacing undercurrent Farkas had. "We aren't trying to keep her prisoner," he said, as gently as someone his size could. "But we don't know what she'll do when she wakes up, and I doubt you want to keep poisoning her."

There was no arguing with thoughts that had been in my own head only a little while ago. "Open the cage," I said tersely.

He did so, and I went in. It was nicer than most of the cells I had been in, with a decent bedroll and clean straw on the floor. I set her down gently and checked the cut once more. It seemed to be healing well. My heart ached to do it, but I kissed her forehead, and I left.

"I can come down here and talk to her, right?" I asked Vilkas.

He nodded. "Come on. We need to go see the Harbinger."


	5. Chapter 5

Kodlak had apparently asked to see me after Serana had been secured. The thought of meeting the old wolf was somewhat unnerving to me. While his apparent age made it clear that he had not changed shape in a very long time, he was still the elder and alpha of another pack. Even better, I had never made my disdain for his choice to leash his wolf a secret. It would be safest for me to be polite, and I was so good at that.

Vilkas led me into Jorrvaskr, past the great hall where the warriors feasted and down the steps to their sleeping quarters. I glanced through the door that stood open as we passed. There was one large room full of beds and sleeping bodies that reeked of human. The other doors, closed, all had traces of werewolf around them. It seemed like they separated the wolves from the humans, which was wise. The nightmares of lycanthropy could be disturbing for others. I recognized Aela, Farkas, and Vilkas by scent, but there were two that I didn't. We headed straight toward one of them.

I'm not sure who I expected- maybe the spitting image of Ysgramor- but the man that greeted us from a chair by the fire was not it. He was obviously a large man, almost the size of a bear, but he wasn't as imposing as an alpha of a large pack- humans included- should have been. An alpha like that should have a presence that hit me like a blow to the head from a dragon, but it didn't. This one looked kindly, like an old grandfather.

"Your wolf really is dormant," I breathed, awestruck. I may have disapproved, but his tenacity and control wasn't something I could just ignore.

Kodlak chuckled quietly. "Years of practice, Elayn. I hope that in time I can teach the same peace to you and your mate."

With a grunt, he rose to his feet. "In truth, we know very little of you or Lady Serana, despite your ownership of Breezehome. I only know that as of a year or so ago, you two are rarely separate from each other."

For obvious reasons I was against telling him the whole story about Harkon and the Prophecy. Vampires and werewolves got along better than vampires and the Dawnguard but they still weren't best friends, and my kind weren't exactly the calmest beings of Tamriel. If they knew about the prophecy, they might decide that the situation was more trouble than it was worth and try to kill me and Serana. I might have been strong, but fighting off the Companions was not something I felt up to doing that week.

Kodlak must have noticed my eyes flit to Vilkas. His brow furrowed somewhat and he said, "Why don't you go check on your brother, Vilkas. I'm sure he did not appreciate being corrected."

The dour wolf nodded and left the room. At the alpha's gesture, I sat, and began my explanation of the events of the year. I told him of the Dawnguard, and from his low exhale I determined he was not much a fan of the bigots himself. I told him of the prophecy, and his wide-eyed gaze told me he was unaware of these events. I told him about Harkon and his court, and the rumble of a growl that emanated from his chest echoed my own dislike. He said nothing as I told him what had transpired in Solstheim, and when my own voice died away, all that was heard in the room was the crackling of the fire.

Finally, just as I was starting to wonder if this was a mistake, he spoke. "I am beginning to understand just how much this-" he seemed hesitant to call her wolf or vampire. "- woman means to you. The Circle will indeed help you, but you must help us as well."

"Anything," I said immediately, sitting up straighter. "If it means you'll help her."

Kodlak took a drink from the tankard at his side before he began. "The Companions, particularly the Circle, are not without their enemies. Many know little of the Silver Hand, but I'm certain it will come as no surprise to you that they are our bitterest enemies." Silver eyes met my own knowingly. "They destroy packs wherever they can, and we do what we can to stop them. The last time we dealt with them was seventeen years ago, when they destroyed a pack to the north. The Companions went to war with them, then, and only recently have they shown their faces again."

Understanding hit me like a bolt of lightning to the chest. seventeen years. The same time as when I had lost my pack. "I thought it was just a mob of scared humans that had attacked after the vampires," I said thickly.

He shook his head slowly. "I am afraid not. They saw their chance, and they took it. I am sorry for your loss."

It took all the control I had to stop the change as that old pain and fear rushed back to the surface. For the first time in a year, I had to forcibly stop my wolf from coming to the forefront and finding the pathetic creatures who had dared attack my home and wipe them out one by one. Dimly I noted that my nails were cutting into my palms as I fought back the urge to kill. My wolf was displeased, and growled and snarled her displeasure. I took in a shuddering breath and looked up again, slowly unclenching my fists.

The old alpha was watching me carefully, but relaxed somewhat when he saw me do the same. "Good." He reached forward to grip my shoulder with the same strength his frame showed. "You will need to teach that same restraint to Serana when she wakes. And you must promise me you will not take revenge for its own sake. Whatever you do, you must not attack without careful planning, because it could very easily bring the Silver Hand crashing down upon us."

"You have my word," I said, my voice stronger now.

"Good," he repeated, sitting back. "Then I want you to go and rest. Once you've woken, speak with Aela. She has knowledge of an encampment rather close by, and that threat must be dealt with immediately."

So I would be able to kill. Good. I nodded and left the room, going to look for my old friend.


	6. Chapter 6

The Huntress was nowhere to be found when I woke the next morning. According to one of the younger warriors- who among many others were staring at me when I walked into the great hall- she had gone to deal with a bear that had been terrorizing the farmers outside of Whiterun. At first I was tempted to go find her, so I could begin the hunt, but an instinct stronger than bloodlust grabbed me by the scruff. I reversed direction and went straight to the Underforge; to the cage that held my mate.

At first I thought she was still asleep, but her breathing changed when I came closer. I stood at the door, waiting- hoping- she would say something. She didn't.

"I understand if you're angry with me," I said quietly. "And I understand if you want me to leave. But this was all I could think to do." My voice changed as I spoke, the words cascading out of my mouth now. "You killed those people, Serana; innocent people who didn't deserve to be ripped apart by a werewolf no matter their crime. And the Companions would have been sent to hunt you. Farkas was already on his way when Lydia brought him to Breezehome. Don't you understand? I did what I had to!"

My breath caught in my throat as she sat up, gingerly putting weight on her left arm so she could face me. The pain and damnation on her face ripped through me. "My mother did what she thought was best for me," she spat. "My father claimed to do the same for our people. You lock me in a silver cage and say the same?" She collapsed back on her side again, away from me. "Get out."

"Serana, please," I begged, stepping forward no matter how much the silver burned.

She did not answer, and I left. Aela was standing outside the Underforge when I walked out. Immediately I turned away from her to punch the rock. The force of the blow shook dust from the boulders.

"You'll break your hand doing that," she commented casually.

"I don't care," I growled. My hand throbbed in time with my heartbeat and I faced her, arms crossed. "Kodlak said you were going after the Silver Hand. When do we leave?"

The Huntress raised an eyebrow at my tone. "You're a lot less cheery than usual."

"Please, for my sanity, shut up and imagine locking Skjor behind a silver cage and walking away from that," I snarled suddenly. "Imagine the betrayal and hatred in his eyes. Then you can tell me how 'cheery' I'm not being."

The twin wolves might have attacked me for the disrespect in my tone. After all, I wasn't a member of the pack. Fortunately she was mated to the wolf I had mentioned, and she understood the pain in my voice. The agony of even thinking about what I was describing flickered across her face and she nodded once. "Right. Sorry."

"Don't mentioned it," I muttered, looking away.

The awkward silence didn't stretch on for too long. "We leave at sunset," she told me. "The camp isn't too far. We can run there as wolves and wipe them out."

"I'll meet you at the gates," I told her, walking away.

I went back to Breezehome, slamming the door shut hard enough to rattle the dishes on the shelves. Lydia was not home, and did not greet me when I walked in. I sat in front of the fire with a book, but just ended up tossing the thing aside out of irritation when the words grew too difficult to focus on.

"There's no need for that," a voice to the left of me said mockingly. "It's a cowardly hunter that attacks weak prey."

I yelped and looked around wildly. The voice was unnervingly familiar. My eye caught the white glow of a mounted elk-head on the wall and the shock faded rapidly. I knew that voice well.

"Lord Hircine," I said, barely able to keep the irritation out of my words. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Hardly pleasant." He laughed and the voice resonated with my wolf blood. "And hardly a surprise. Of course I would be nearby when one of my favorites was in such turmoil. They always seem to be the best hunters then."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Your favorite? I thought you were still furious for how I dealt with Sinding."

"Why would I be?" I was in luck, the Daedric Prince was in a fine enough mood not to be irritated by my very obviously disrespectful tone. "You proved yourself a worthy hunter when you turned the tables on the others like that, and Sinding has provided me with a good hunt since then."

Somehow that was less comforting than I would have liked. It was never good when a Daedric Prince called you his favorite, even if it made sense for said Prince to say so. "You've cared little for my turmoil in the past, my lord. And even a Prince as generous as you has little need for toying with mortals when there is much better prey about."

"Oh but there is. I have been watching you and your mate since the mammoths near Harvalstead, and I saw Serana's slaughter of the villagers there." His voice took on a much less pleased tone. "And I saw how you caged her. I do not like my children to be locked up, Elayn."

The sudden urge to run like a scared rabbit and hide until he was gone was almost overpowering, but I managed to squeak out a reply. "Only until she is no longer in danger of being hunted herself, my lord. And I plan to destroy the ones who hunt your children; the humans that call themselves the Silver Hand."

Hircine laughed very suddenly, and the terror receded. "Ah yes, those fools. I am aware of your plans, and I have come to offer you a bargain. Destroy them, and another, and I will help Serana control her bloodlust when she is so near mortals."

"I had every intention of slaughtering them in the first place, my lord," I said carefully. "But what of this other? Who am I to hunt?"

The fire shifted abnormally in the corner of my vision. I looked to see images there, flickering in and out of view faster than I could see, but I still understood their meaning. They were the faces of the Harbinger, and of the twins, Farkas and Vilkas. "The Circle has become tainted by disloyalty," the Daedric Prince growled. "The Harbinger has corrupted two of his followers and stolen their fealty from me. I would have them killed before the Harbinger succeeds in 'curing' them and himself of the gift they were given so long ago. Do this, and I will help your mate. Consider my offer well, because I will not make it again."

His presence faded from the room; the white light surrounding the elk head and the fire slowly dimming. I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat and stared at the flames. If it meant helping Serana, what choice did I really have?


	7. Chapter 7

When the sun set in the western horizon I was already outside of the city, across the bridge, and waiting for Aela. She met me there before long and we set off without a word. Human skin was replaced with wolf and soon we were running. It unsettled both me and my wolf to be running somewhere without my mate when I wasn't running toward her, but I continued on. We reached the fort where the Silver Hand were making their camp for the night and stole into the courtyard as silent as shadows. That was where the real fun began.

The other wolf howled, startling the warriors outside into a panicked frenzy. They descended on us and I attacked, slashing with tooth and nail and sending flesh and blood flying. Before long, more were coming outside from the keep, and Aela sprung into the fray. Eight corpses lay on the floor, their hearts torn out and devoured, and we continued on. The camp was decimated before Secundus was even at its peak.

I jerked my muzzle toward the north and whined inquisitively. Aela shook her head, growled once, and went back inside the keep. I waited where I was, and when she didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that I wasn't there, started back toward Whiterun. My clothes remained in a neat pile under a bridge where I left them. Once dressed, I trotted back up the road to the city. The guards let me through without much fuss and I made a beeline for Jorrvaskr.

Kodlak was, of course, asleep by then, so I went to find another wolf to report to. Vilkas was the only one around. He was in the training yard, attempting to slaughter a training dummy. I leaned back against a beam, turning a chunk of rock in my hands, to wait for him to finish what he was doing. That didn't seem to be happening any time soon, so I cleared my throat.

"It's not technically alive, you know." I smirked a little when he whirled around to face me. "You can't make it any more dead than it is."

"Shouldn't you be on a mission with Aela?" he asked, scowling. I could see the resemblance to Farkas in that expression.

"It's been taken care of." I glanced up, at Masser. "It's a beautiful night to run. I don't understand why you and your brother refuse to make the change when the moon is as powerful as this."

"If it's so wonderful, why are you here bothering me instead of out running?" He began swinging at the dummy with renewed vigour, muttering curses under his breath.

I dropped the rock I was holding so I could cross my arms, curious. "That's why you're beating that poor dummy senseless, isn't it? The moon calls to you."

So quiet that I almost didn't hear him, he said, "Farkas and Kodlak both find it easier to resist than I do. Hitting things helps."

I made a "hm" sound. "Is Hircine really so bad, that you would forsake his gift? Is Sovngarde really so worth it?"

Vilkas's sword stopped in mid-swing, and he turned around to stare at me. "How can you ask that?" he asked, voice gruff with disbelief. "You're clearly a Nord. How were you not raised with stories of the heroes, and the great hall of Sovngarde?"

"Not all of us are given Hircine's Blessing from a bit of blood and ceremony." I grinned, showing fangs that he didn't have. "I was born like this. I've known my wolf from the day I was born, and I've been running with her on four legs ever since I learned to run on two. My pack didn't speak of Sovngarde; we spoke of the eternal hunt. If you died, you died knowing you would hunt with Hircine in Oblivion, not drink and fight for eternity."

He just looked at me. Finally he said, "Perhaps those are the stories you learned, but Kodlak raised us as true Nords of Skyrim. We go to Sovngarde one day, and fight for Shor. To be claimed by Hircine until the end is not something any of us would or should want."

It was so very tempting to Shout, just once, and show him that I was the Nordic hero of legend. So tempting, in fact, that I couldn't resist. "Fus!" The Shout boomed from my chest and knocked him back. I barely even noticed the depletion in strength.

"What in Oblivion was that?" he demanded, reaching down to pick up the sword that had slipped from his fingers.

I grinned and bowed mockingly. "That, o wolf, was a Dragon Shout, as demonstrated by the Dragonborn." I straightened up again to fix him with a challenging stare. "Don't tell me I'm no true Nord just because I don't plan to spend my afterlife drinking and fighting. I'm much happier hunting."

Still shaken, he nodded. "I had not realized you were the Dragonborn. I heard what happened with the dragon at the tower, but I never thought..."

"That the werewolf who embarrassed your brother might actually be worth something?" I rolled my eyes. "Please, spare me. I'm going to bed."

I turned and walked away then, irritated by the whole exchange. Hircine's deal was starting to look sweeter every moment I spent with the Companions.


	8. Chapter 8

Morning found me collapsed on my bed, arms and legs dangling off the sides and my blanket haphazardly dragged over me. A quiet knock brought me out of my slumber, and I glanced up without moving my head. "Whozzit?" I muttered.

"Vilkas came to tell you that Serana has asked to see you." It was Lydia. "He's waiting downstairs."

"Tell him I'll be down in a minute," I mumbled.

She left, closing the door softly. I grabbed clothes from my dresser and threw them on without really looking. In truth, I did not want to see Serana. My wolf heart yearned to be near my mate but my human mind was afraid. Our last meeting had not gone particularly well, and after the night before, I was very tired. Even so, I owed it to her to get out of bed and go, so downstairs I went.

Vilkas stood from the chair he was in as soon as I appeared at the top of the stairs. "Elayn-"

"I'm going to see my mate," I snapped at him. "Whatever you have to say can wait."

He bowed his head in acceptance and followed as I stalked out into the streets of Whiterun. I caught a few glances and even more whispered comments and realized that these people had never seen this much of their Thane. More importantly, they had never seen their Thane walking with one of the Companions. The gossip must have been tantalizing indeed. I could not have cared less.

The dim light of the torches- which I were beginning to suspect were enchanted- was not comparable to the sunlight outside. I blinked away sudden blindness before continuing into the room with the cages. But at the entrance, I stopped. Serana's back was to me, same as last time, though she was sitting up now. Apprehension and yearning warred for supremacy in my mind and in my heart.

It was she that made the first move, turning on her bedroll to face me. There was a guardedness in her silver eyes that I was certain matched my own, but there was also the slight raise of her eyebrows that told me she at least wanted to see me. She said nothing, and I knew it was my turn to act. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

"How-" I stopped to clear the nervousness from my voice. "How is your back?"

"Better." The shadow of a smile crossed her face. "You've taken to potion-making like a duck to water."

"I had a good teacher," I said, feeling hope flutter in my chest. She wasn't angry with me. I sat down on the stone floor- ignoring the chair in the corner of the room- and shifted forward as close as I could to the silver bars. "And it was definitely a useful potion to learn."

"Serana, I-"

"Elayn, you-"

We both stopped, grinning sheepishly at each other. "You go first," I said, folding my arms on my knees.

Serana inhaled slowly, and exhaled. "I'm not angry at what you did," she said, looking down. "Kodlak came and talked to me." She looked up again, eyes sparkling with mischief. "He's oddly even-tempered for a wolf."

"Hey!" I protested. "It's not my fault. He hasn't let his wolf have any say for almost a decade now."

She hummed. "True. But he told me what happened, and what he was trying to do." She exhaled again, sharper this time. "To be honest, when I woke up in a cage, I was more than a little upset. It was like the crypt all over again."

"I'd never do that," I said immediately, and the vehemence of my words echoed against the stone of the room. "Not to you."

My voice took on a tone that was half playful and half terrified, mostly because I couldn't decide which I felt more at the time. Hysteria might have been a good word for it. "I need you with me! You're like my conscience, only I actually listen to you!"

"I know that," she said gently, smiling slightly. "And that's why I'm not angry. Kodlak told me about Harvalstead, and that I wasn't a prisoner here. Looking back on it, I think… I think we probably should have noticed something was wrong sooner."

Misery welled up in my chest and spilled out into my voice. "I did notice. I noticed and I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to upset you. I didn't want to ruin our time together."

"I know." All was quiet again for a moment. "What happens now?"

I frowned. "What were you doing when I came in here? You don't usually just sit there."

"Meditating." She spread her arms in gesture to the cage. "Being stuck here doesn't leave me with much else to do, and it helps calm the wolf in my heart. We seem to have reached an impasse."

"Bribery seems to work with mine." I laughed. "Stay put for one hour and I'll let you slaughter a bear. It's almost like dealing with a child."

"I told her that if she behaved, we could walk out of here free," Serana said quietly. "Was I lying?"

In answer I stood, grabbed the keys from the peg on the wall, and opened the door wide. "If you think you're ready, then you are," I said, gesturing to the walkway. "It's up to you."

She stepped out, almost hesitantly. When she was clear of the door I swung it closed and grabbed her in a hug, burying my face in the spot between her shoulder and her neck. "I won't do that again," I muttered. "Not ever again."

Stepping back, she grabbed my face in her hands so I was looking into her eyes. "If you have to, you do it," she said firmly. "Especially if not doing so means I lose control. I dealt with that enough as a vampire."

Hearing that struck a cord, and my eyes watered. "I… I'm so sorry I've done this to you."

She smiled, genuinely. "Don't be."


	9. Chapter 9

We went to find Kodlak immediately. I gripped her hand as we walked, unwilling to let go again, and it seemed to cause a bit of a stir in the main hall of Jorrvaskr. A new-blood whooped out a cheer that was quickly silenced by a biting glare from me. Everyone else left us alone after that as we made our way to the old alpha's room. The door was cracked as before, and there stood Aela and Kodlak. The air crackled with anger, as the old one glared at the Nord woman furiously.

"You told me to eliminate the threat!" she snapped at him, chin lifted defiantly. "I did so, and so did the whelp."

The "whelp" comment grated on my nerves. I stepped forward to retort, but Serana tugged me back. The other two did not notice my movement. It was as if no one else was in the room.

"You have been told time and time again that slaughtering entire encampments does not send a warning," he thundered. "It sends a challenge, and it is one they will not let alone. You were told to thin their numbers, not butcher them all."

Her lip curled in a sneer. "What would you know? You've grown soft, old man. Your wolf is weak from being caged for so long. Skjor is dead because of your inaction."

Aela's words rang through the air like the bell-tone of a funeral. "When did he die?" I asked, stepping forward. Serana did not stop me this time.

She shot me a furious glare. "After you left the fort, I found him in the dungeons. He had been skinned alive." She glared at Kodlak again. "If you will not deal with this, I will." With that she stalked out of the room, shoving past me. I growled a warning that went unnoticed and her footsteps soon faded away.

Kodlak sat heavily and stared at the fire. "This 'blessing of Hircine' has been nothing but a curse," he said ruefully. "I refuse to die without a cure. I will not hunt with the Daedric Prince for eternity."

I crossed my arms. "There has to be a cure. I'm little help with reading, but I can go and hunt for answers."

He looked up at me, brow furrowed in contemplation. "Perhaps. The legends say that the Companions were given the gift of Lycanthropy by the Glenmoril Witches for their aid in some battle. The original members of the Circle were tricked into believing the affliction would only be temporary, but it was not. My predecessor was the first to discover that those of us afflicted would not see Sovngarde, but instead hunt with Hircine. It is because of this that Farkas, Vilkas, and myself have forsaken the change and have worked so hard to find a cure."

"What does that mean?" I demanded, impatient with this explanation. "Just tell me what to hit."

Serana put a firm hand on my shoulder. "Let him finish."

"It may be possible to cleanse the Circle by burning the remains of the Glenmoril Witches," he explained, before I could say anything. "If you will retrieve their heads, those who wish to be cured may have the chance."

I nodded once. "For what you have done to help Serana and I, I will do this. But do not expect me to wish to be cured. I've lived my life like this, and I look forward to hunting with Hircine in the afterlife." If he lets me after this.

Serana and I were sent away then, with a marking on my map to show where the cave the Hagravens lived in was. The cave was a fair distance away from Whiterun, in Falkreath Hold. Outside of the city, Serana took a look at the map, and shook her head.

"I'd rather not run that," she said. "It's too far, and there will be too much time where I could lose control."

"You'll never know if you can handle it if you don't try." Her annoyed glare had me quickly back-tracking. "But if you feel better walking, we can. C'mon, there's a carriage over here."

"Thanks." Her voice was wry, but she smiled all the same.

The carriage driver accepted our coin and destination readily enough, and we climbed into the cart. "Falkreath, eh? You be careful, there's talk of wolves around there lately."

Serana and I shared a glance, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. "We'll be careful," she told him, very seriously, while I pounded my fist on my knee.

For an hour we travelled in silence, until she nudged my shoulder. "So what did you do while I was locked up?"

I scowled at the reminder. "Besides feel like the worst creature ever spawned by the waters of Oblivion?"

"Yes, Elayn." She rolled her eyes. "Besides your self-pity."

Looking up at the sky where the sun was beginning to sink lower, I shrugged. "Aela and I attacked a Silver Hand encampment- that's the argument she was having with Kodlak. Apparently we weren't meant to kill all of them. The fighting seems to be costing more than it's worth."

"Skjor was her mate, then." I looked down to see understanding and horror dawn on her face. "Will she be alright?"

"I don't know." It was the truth. Losing your mate like that wasn't something you bounced back from. Yet...

"I'm not exactly the best person to answer that. Losing you would kill me, but wolves like my parents wouldn't have cared." She raised an eyebrow at me, disbelieving, and I snorted. "I mean it. They might have even had a celebration."

Serana kept looking at me, eyes searching. "You've mentioned them before."

"Kind of." I shrugged again. "You were dealing with your own problems at the time."

"And after we dealt with my father? After we brought my mother back?"

"I was busy with other things!" I protested. "And I don't like to talk about my time in my birth-pack. My parents were a joke to nearly everyone for how they treated each other- and me. For Hircine's sake, I only survived the massacre because we lived at the back of the cave. By the time the vampires reached my den, I had time to hide. And when the humans came for us, I was long gone."

She frowned, looking somewhat contrite. "Sorry, Elayn. I didn't meant to bring up a painful topic."

I huffed out a breath, annoyed that I had given away more of my feelings on the subject than I had meant to. I wasn't exactly reticent, but it wasn't every day someone heard me speaking sincerely, rather than just sarcasm. "Look, I don't mind you asking, but it's old history. It really doesn't matter anymore."


	10. Chapter 10

I was unwilling to leave the conversation like that, so I hitched my boots on the seat in front of me and shifted closer to her. My head was now on level to rest on her shoulder, and I did so. "What about you?" I asked. "I want to hear more about your childhood."

The funny thing about us seemed to be the influence of vampires in our lives. My childhood- up until I was fourteen years old and my pack was decimated- was miserable. It was only after they were gone and I was free from the petty cruelties of my parents that my life seemed to take a turn for the better. Serana, on the other hand, had nothing but good to say about her life before Molag Bal's involvement. She didn't like to talk about it too often, but when she did, I loved to listen.

Today's story was about the village she grew up in, and the people there. She told me about the butcher's son that would craft little men from chicken bones for her. She told me about the innkeeper that would let her into the tavern even after it was late so she could hear tales from the travellers. All sorts of wonderful things about a life where her parents loved her and each other, and Daedric Princes were just myths to keep small children from sneaking out of their beds to get into the sweet-rolls.

Her hand gently stroking my hair, her voice, and the rocking of the carriage had me falling asleep before too long. It was a surprise when the cart came to a halt and the driver announced our destination. Even more of a surprise when I realized night had indeed fallen. In fact it seemed rather late. Groggily, and with no shortage of muttered complaints, I climbed out of the back of the cart and leapt onto the muddy ground.

"Do you want to stop and rest?" she asked, with a meaningful glance at the nearby inn.

I was torn. As much as I wanted to deal with the Glenmoril Coven and be back in my warm feather bed in Breezehome, I also wanted nothing more than to be curled up next to Serana right now. She caught the look on my face, grinned knowingly, and dragged me by the arm toward the Dead Man's Drink.

Narri was at the counter that evening, and beamed when she saw me. "Elayn! I was wondering when I'd see you here again."

I waved and walked over to the counter where I set down a few coins. "Good to see you, Narri. Has Dengeir been too much trouble recently."

The barmaid rolled her eyes and slammed the tankard she was scrubbing down. "That old Nord is always trouble. I swear he comes in here just to bother me."

"At least he's a paying customer." I leaned forward slightly, smirking. "If you want, I can frighten the old buzzard off if he shows up in here tonight."

She laughed, and pushed at my shoulder. "Oh no, I recognize that look. You're half asleep, aren't you? Go get some rest, and then we'll talk."

"Well you're no fun." I feigned a pout and walked away, leaving her to her giggling.

Serana shut the door as soon as we were both inside and was glaring at me when I turned around. "What?" I demanded. "What did I do this time?"

The only answer I got was an armful of angry woman, and talk really wasn't very relevant for the rest of the evening. But I must say, that around midnight or so when I finally got to sleep, I slept well indeed. The next evening I was bright-eyed and ready to go kill witches. As we ran out the door, I got a wink from Narri and a scowl from Valga.

We went north, toward the cave, but stayed off-road. While for most people it would have certainly been safer to stay on the beaten trail where the wildlife was unlikely to attack you, I felt confident that nothing posed even the slightest threat to two werewolves. In theory, I was right, but fate had a funny way of knocking me down a peg every now and then.

Rumbling roars unlike anything I had ever heard were the first sign to me that something was wrong. They were almost like bear growls, but my wolf picked up on a note of hatred and fury that seemed more extreme than an animal could convey. The next thing I knew, there were three creatures breaking through undergrowth to attack us.

I caught only glimpses of them as I leapt backwards for more room to shoot. My bow was drawn swiftly, and one of them fell with an arrow sticking through it's knee. It looked somewhat like a werewolf, but with the golden-brown fur and the girth of a...

"Werebear!" I yelled, drawing the silver dagger from its place on my pack.

The metal burned me as I held it, but it burned the downed creature more when I drove the blade through it's neck. It bellowed its pain to the moon before it dropped to the ground, air whooshing out of its chest. Moments later it stood, bathed in a blue glow, and began attacking its companions. I nodded to Serana, and leapt at the second.

Soon the werebears were lying on ground that had been churned with claws and blood. The silver knife slipped from my hand and I fell to one knee, exhausted. "That's not something we see every day," I said, through lips that felt somewhat numbed.

"That's not either." At Serana's dry remark, I looked up, and saw the shape of one of the bears rise onto two legs.

The outline stood facing us. Then as I began to circle, I realized that no matter where I stood, it still faced me. Dread curled in my gut, but I knelt anyway. Serana did the same across from me.

"Greetings, Lord Hircine," I intoned.

"Well met, hunter." The Daedric Prince was abnormally grim. "It seems that despite my orders to bring me the souls of the Circle, you have instead set out to steal them from me for good."

Although it seemed like a well-planned suicide to do so, I rose. "They were hardly orders, my lord."

Serana's horrified gaze was on me the second she heard the casual rebuke in my words. I ignored her, and lifted my chin at the aspect of Hircine. "You promised me your help if I brought you their souls. I no longer need your help, and I won't be delivering them to you. At no point was I ordered to do anything."

"You dare defy me?" His voice was deadly soft, like the seconds before the hounds were given the order to chase their prey.

"I am your loyal follower," I replied evenly. "It is no fault of mine that you never truly commanded my services." My voice took on a challenging tone. "Unless you seek to emulate that worm Molag Bal and deny me my ability to choose, that is."

I could have knocked Serana over with a feather, she was so shocked. Hircine was much the same, and said nothing. All three of us were motionless for several seconds that lasted as long as lifetimes. I, with my chin raised, Serana frozen in mute terror, and a speechless Daedric Prince.

"Hah! Ha-hah!" The sudden laughter made me twitch. My mate openly jolted.

"My lord?" I asked slowly, wondering if now was the time to flee for my life.

Hircine laughed again, a rolling chuckle like thunder over the plains. "Well played, young hunter. You have thwarted my plans and stung my dignity. Indeed, you have earned my blessing."

"And the Circle?" While I didn't want to anger him, I felt the need to clarify that point.

"None of those lack-toothed pups are worth my time." The pride in his voice made my heart race, as pure laughter gave way to steady mirth. "I look forward to seeing how you deal with approaching events. Good hunting, wolf."

His aspect slowly faded away, as did the little light that was there too. I stepped forward to pull Serana to her feet, ignoring the way my arm shook slightly. She blinked up at me, almost speechless, but not quite. "You really just did that, didn't you? You're completely insane."

I shook my head. "No, not insane, just risky. Hircine is nothing like certain other Princes. He doesn't want broken followers; he wants skilled hunters. If anything, I've proven myself capable." A small smile curved my lips up. "You did too, you know. Some werewolves are completely incapable of controlling themselves. If you had truly needed his help, he might not have been so pleasant."

"I'm glad I didn't, then. I think I'll stay on his good side from now on."

She reached down to grasp the silver dagger that had been left in the mud. Somehow, she still seemed dazed even as she handed it to me. I took it gingerly, cleaned it off on the fur of one of the bears, and sheathed it."Let's get moving, then."


	11. Chapter 11

"Damn every Hagraven to the depths of Oblivion," I spat, resisting the urge to paw at fresh burn on my side. "Bloody witches."

Serana batted my hands away so she could pour the potion she had made over the wound. "Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you to duck behind the rock."

"When have I ever- Ow!" My comment was cut off by the pain of an injury healing very rapidly. I banged my head against the rock wall behind me and gritted my teeth against it.

"Hircine's chosen indeed," she muttered. "Come on, you're fine. Let's go."

I stood gingerly, then quicker when the injury didn't hurt. "I have got to stop being injured around you. Your bedside manner could use some work."

She ignored me, and started down the rocks fast enough that I had to lurch into a run to keep up. "Fine, fine, I apologize!" I called. "Slow down, will you?"

When she shook her head, I saw that she wasn't joking. She looked genuinely upset, but I wasn't sure it was with me. "What's wrong?" I asked, jogging up to her.

"It's what Hircine said." She didn't look at me, but kept walking. "About dealing with approaching events. What did he mean?"

"What did the Daedric Prince of Hunting mean by approaching events he cared to witness?" I pretended to think for a moment. "It had to do with knitting. I just know it."

She scowled. "Make all the jokes you want, but I think something is genuinely wrong. We need to get back to Jorrvaskr soon."

"Let's hurry then."

I broke through the undergrowth- rather thick here- and we made it to the road. "We need to move quickly. It's already dawn," I said, looking up to see the sky beginning to get lighter. "Do you feel up to running?"

There was hesitation on her face. "I suppose, if we avoid people."

I'll admit, I was starting to get a bit impatient, and that showed in my voice. "You're a werewolf, Serana. You're supposed to run, not hide in the shadows."

"I'm not supposed to kill people," she retorted. "Harvalstead happened fairly recently, after all."

"That's my point, damn it!" I stalked away a few steps, only to whirl around to glare at her again. "Avoiding your wolf is only going to make things difficult- for the both of us."

"I don't want to hurt anyone, Elayn!" Her words were loud enough to cut through the early morning quiet. "I don't want to be a monster!"

I froze, fury and hurt treating through me like jagged claws. She went pale almost immediately when she saw me. "I-I'm sorry-"

"Forget it," I spat. "Take the carriage back. I need to go."

I didn't hear anything else she had to say as I tore through the trees, toward Whiterun. After a few miles I stopped long enough to secure my bag with rope so I could shift. My wolf howled in dismay as soon as she realized what had happened, and immediately demanded to go back. I shook my head in refusal and set off through the forest that soon gave way to plains. Before long I was back in Whiterun, and while the run had somewhat helped to clear my head, I was still furious. A monster. I should have guessed from the very beginning.

A cry rose up from the crowd before me as a man clad in silver armor pushed through the mob. I ran forward, relishing the sudden scent of fear on him when he saw me. My arrow was nocked and drawn in one smooth motion, and in the next, it flew smoothly to impale his throat. He fell backward with a bubbling cry as blood spilled onto the tan stones of the street.

"What happened here?" I demanded to anyone that would hear as I knelt to retrieve the arrow from the still-warm corpse.

Ufberth War-Bear was the only one to answer me, and pointed toward Jorrvaskr. "Those lunatics attacked the Companions in broad daylight!"

I muttered a thanks as I ran past, shoving my way past the heavy, half-open wooden doors. The blood-scent was strongest here, that of friend and foe. I soon realized why as I barreled into the room, only to halt in my tracks. There, in the great hall, lay the wisest wolf I had ever known. Aela and Vilkas crouched beside him, grief-stricken at the loss of their alpha.

The Harbinger was dead.


	12. Chapter 12

"What happened here?" I asked, voice rough.

"The damn Silver Hand attacked in the middle of the day," Vilkas growled. "They swarmed the place like rats. Kodlak refused to back down, and they killed him. And they took the fragments of Wuuthrad"

"This is my fault." Aela sounded almost dazed, like she was confused. "If I hadn't taken revenge for Skjor, if we hadn't slaughtered that camp, they wouldn't have come here. Kodlak was right."

"Wait." Vilkas rose, eyes wide with fury. "You're saying your actions caused this?" He looked to me, disbelieving. "And you helped?"

My arms crossed over my chest, and I eyed him coolly. "I was following orders, Vilkas. It's the Huntress here who made the call to do so much damage. If you value your life, do not hurl accusations at me right now."

He snarled wordlessly, and kicked at a chair. It was solid oak, yet it flew across the room to crash against the wall. "Kodlak's death will be avenged," he vowed. "We'll kill every one of those cowardly Silver Hand worms. We leave at dawn."

I watched him storm away, and growled quietly. "I'm going to have to go with him to make sure he doesn't get killed, aren't I?"

Ria, a Companion I never really spoke with after the incident in front of the city with Farkas, looked up from her tending to another of her brethren. She looked worried. "Farkas is usually the one that acts so emotional. I don't think Vilkas is thinking clearly."

"He won't be for a while," I said quietly. "His-" I paused, before I said something that might make her suspect the Circle's true natures. "-father just died. That kind of thing is painful."

Instead of being offended, she nodded, looking determined. "Keep him safe. Farkas will be upset enough as it is with Kodlak gone. I don't want him to lose his brother too."

I raised an eyebrow at the woman, but nodded and walked away. It seemed that Farkas had a human sniffing after him. Interesting.

The sun had not begun to set yet, but I was exhausted. I dragged myself back to Breezehome and collapsed on the bed upstairs. I was practically asleep before my head hit the pillow, but I didn't stay that way for long. Judging by the lack of noise outside when the door opened and closed again, night had fallen. I yawned and scrubbed my hand over my face before I rose from the bed.

"Lydia!" I called. "Where have you been?"

"She's not back yet."

I just about fell off the bed when I heard Serana speak. When I focused again, I saw she was standing in the doorway, looking guarded. I bit back another yawn and sat back down to shove my boots off of my feet.

"Hey," was all I said.

A cursory glance told me she was confused, probably because I didn't bring up what happened. I wasn't going to. If we were going to talk, it would be after all this was taken care of. When I had an option to give her beyond just accepting her lot.

"I went to Jorrvaskr," she said slowly. "What happened there?"

"Silver Hand." I changed out of my armor and into nightclothes as I spoke. "They killed Kodlak. Vilkas wants to go take care of what happened."

"Do you want-"

"I think you should stay behind," I said, cutting her off. "He's not thinking clearly enough to be careful, and you're not used to fighting as a wolf. I don't need to keep both of you safe."

Her jaw tightened. "Is that what you think? That you need to keep me safe?"

I met her gaze coldly. "It's what I always have to do, and what I'm going to keep doing." I looked back down again, scratching at a scar on my arm. "I need to sleep. We can talk about this later- when I'm not dealing with another crisis."

She turned and left the room without another word and I collapsed on the bed. My wolf begged me again to go after her, and I refused. I needed to rest.


	13. Chapter 13

At dawn, Vilkas and I set out for Driftshade Refuge. We followed the road north to Dawnstar. I didn't even suggest running there. Vilkas was not a wolf I would run with, even if he would consider making the change. And after what had happened to Kodlak, there was no way he would now.

Outside the fort, hidden behind trees, we paused to assess the situation. He took one look at the bow I carried and curled his lip. "What kind of warrior doesn't carry a good sword?"

"The kind that can tear things apart with their claws," I snapped. "Remember, I'm not ashamed of the blessing. Now do you want to plan this attack, or mock me?"

He scowled as he looked back at the fort, where two soldiers stood outside the gates. "It looks like a frontal assault will work best. I don't want to sneak around looking for a way in."

"Such a proud Nord," I mocked. "Keep your eyes on the fort, Companion."

He grunted an assent. I shrugged out of my armor, dancing somewhat in the cold snow, and made the change as soon as I could. Bone and muscle reformed in a more lupine shape and I rose to my full height, about four feet taller than the Nord in front of me. I stepped forward, tapped him on the shoulder with one claw, and looked pointedly at the fort.

"For Kodlak!" he roared, rushing down the hill. I ran past him, and the fight began.

I could sense living creatures past the doors and hallways, but I wasn't going to hunt them down. I howled a challenge and they swarmed. A door, which we thought had been barred, opened to show four more Silver Hand warriors that attacked. Twelve in all, armed with silver, and I had challenged them. This would be interesting.

Not a single one could land a blow on me with their weapons, and not a single one could hold me down. Teeth flashing, paws crushing, claws rending, and their blood painted the room red. The fight was over fast, but the exhilaration seemed to last much longer.

While I devoured the hearts- there was no way I was missing a decent meal- Vilkas went to look for the shards. He came back with a small bag and eyed me with disgust. "We need to get back to Jorrvaskr."

I growled a throaty chuckle and raced back out into the trees where my things were stashed. When he caught up to me I was fully dressed, cleaned of blood and gore, and grinning from ear to ear. "How can you not love fighting like that?" I demanded. "That was a glorious hunt!"

"You looked like a monster," he said sharply. "You still do. Now let's get moving."

The reminder of the confrontation I'd had with Serana earlier snapped to the forefront of my mind and I growled wordlessly. He ignored me, and we made the trip up to Dawnstar to get a carriage back to Whiterun.

Serana and Farkas met us outside the gates when we returned. "It's time for Kodlak's funeral," said Vilkas's twin. The other said nothing, just looked at me with sad eyes.

I met her gaze for a moment, before looking away. "We'd better hurry," I muttered, and started jogging up the street to the Skyforge.

Every one of the Companions was there, scattered around the forge where Kodlak's body laid. Jarl Balgruuf was even there, as well as a few of the citizens of Whiterun. Aela led the rest of the Circle in a prayer, something that I stayed happily out of. Instead, I muttered one of my own, wishing him good hunting wherever he went. Eorlund gave a eulogy, telling of battles the Harbinger had fought and people he had protected. I was unnaturally solemn the whole time, and found myself gravitating toward Serana. In the end, we stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the body of Kodlak burn to ash.

When the ceremony was over, most everyone left to go about their business, but the forgemaster walked up to me. "Greetings, Elayn," he rumbled. "There is one piece of Wuuthrad missing. I believe Kodlak kept it in his room. Would you mind retrieving it for me?"

"Sure." I nodded once to him, and walked away from the orange light of the fire, toward Jorrvaskr.

No one was around to stop me as I descended the stairway into the Companion's sleeping quarters. I paused, hearing footsteps behind me, and sighed. "Is now really the time for this?"

I turned to see Serana frowning at me. "You never gave me a chance to explain," she said quietly.

The laughing noise I made had no trace of humor in it. "Explain what? That you think my kind are monsters? I've dealt with the Circle and their hypocrisy for years. I can handle your loathing just as well."

Very suddenly she was right in front of me, grabbing the leather of my armor in one hand so she could pull me down to her level. "Damn it, Elayn!" she snapped. "This isn't about you, or about werewolves. This is about the fact that I killed people, a lot of them, and I might do it again. I'm scared. It was bad enough when I was a vampire, and the bloodlust made it impossible to think sometimes, but at least I could feed and hold it back for a little while longer. I kill things now, and it only gets worse."

Her silver eyes sparked with anger as she glared at me. "Can you not understand that I have no problems with werewolves, and that it's me killing again that's the issue."

I blinked at her. repeatedly, and slowly raised my hand to pulls her's away from my armor. "Now that you put it like that… I do get it." I sighed, and lowered my head in shame. "I'm sorry, Serana. There's no excuse for how I acted."

"Then don't do it again, damn it." I put my arms around her, holding her close and ignoring the fact that she was shaking. "I told you that I don't want to lose you."

We stayed like that for several minutes, until she stepped back and smiled up at me. "Don't you have something to find?"

"Back here," I said, pointing.

I walked down the corridor to the room where the old wolf slept. On the table by the fire was a small journal and the fragment I had been sent for. I picked up the journal, and flipped it open so I could read. It spoke of a dream he had, of a woman wielding an ebony bow helping him defeat a wolf that had come for his predecessor. Of Vilkas, who he felt would be the most logical choice for the next Harbinger. Of Kodlak's grief for Skjor's death.

With a small smile, I closed the little book. "This is little surprise to me," I said to Serana, who was eyeing me curiously. "Kodlak chose Vilkas to be his successor. We should tell him."

With that, we went back upstairs, to find Eorlund and give him the fragment.


	14. Chapter 14

The old forgemaster was standing before the Skyforge, watching the flames. He turned when he saw me and raised a questioning eyebrow at the journal in my hand. "I see you found the fragment, but what else do you have there?"

"Kodlak's journal," I said, flipping the book open to the page I had marked. "Naming Vilkas his successor."

"Vilkas…" Eorlund thought for a moment, and nodded. "A wise choice. The Circle is waiting in the Underforge, and they have asked you to speak with them. I will bring Wuuthrad when it is finished."

I said my thanks and followed the steps down to the hidden rock door of the secret meeting place of the Circle. The door slid open readily enough, and I stepped inside. My eyes quickly adjusted to the torchlight from the dimness of the night outside. Aela, Farkas, and Vilkas all stood around the bowl and pedestal in the middle of the room.

"Welcome," Vilkas said as I stepped into view. "We need to decide what will be done next."

Farkas scowled when he saw Serana. "I can understand the Thane being here, but what of her. She isn't one of us."

I smiled, showing teeth, and very obviously shifted my weight to ready for a fight. "If you want her to leave, you'll have to go through me."

"Enough," Aela snapped. "You dishonor Kodlak's memory by acting like that, Farkas. He would have wanted Serana here."

"Thank you, Huntress," my mate murmured from my side.

"Now that the pleasantries are over with," Vilkas growled irritably. "Can we discuss what should be done about Kodlak?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What should be done? He is dead, Vilkas. What more can be done."

"I know you went to retrieve the heads of the Glenmoril Witches," he explained. "And I know what can be done to free the Harbinger from Hircine. The heads must be burned in the tomb of Ysgramor, and Kodlak's wolf spirit must be killed. When that is done, he will be able to reach Sovngarde."

"What of the rest of you?" I asked, looking at each of the Circle members in turn. "Do you wish to be cured?"

Aela looked as though she were about to argue, but Vilkas cut in before she could say anything. "We will deal with that when we have laid Kodlak's spirit to rest. And we will all be going."

His tone left no room for arguments, and each of us murmured assent. The rock door slid open suddenly, and Eorlund walked in carrying a rather large bundle. He unwrapped the cloth, and set it on his arms so we could see. It was Wuuthrad, the great ax carried by Ysgramor.

"Kodlak would have wanted this to go to his successor," the forgemaster said, with finality. "Vilkas was chosen, and it is Vilkas who will carry this."

The wolf took the ax that was handed to him, looking dumfounded. Farkas was the first to speak up. "I support his position as Harbinger."

Aela nodded, surprising me. "If that is what Kodlak wished, then I support him."

"You've got my vote," I said, rolling my eyes. "Not that it really matters to you all. Now when do we leave?"

"The tomb is north of Winterhold," the new Harbinger said gruffly. "We'll each make it there in our own time. Be there at sunset in three days."

I gave a mock salute and spun around on a heel, heading back to Breezehome. Serana followed me, but neither of us spoke. Her reasons were her own, but I knew mine. I did not want to consider what she might decide if it came to curing the lycanthropy of everyone in the tomb. I didn't want our time that night to be a goodbye.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning when I rolled toward Serana's side of the bed and found her scent faint, sleep was no longer an option. I lurched out of bed and threw on some clothes to go downstairs- and immediately rammed my toe into the banister. That was strike two of an increasingly awful morning. Growling and muttering, I flopped into a chair and glared at nothing.

A stray movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I stood and crossed to the table where a small piece of paper had dropped from a book. The title was one I recognized; The Ransom of Zarek. It was Serana's favorite. Had she left it there?

I picked up the scrap of paper and recognized the handwriting immediately. It was a very simple note, telling me that she had gone on ahead. I smiled a little when I saw why. She had decided to run there herself.

Honestly, I could accept that. While I would have given anything to have gone along, she needed the time to think. But what if…

A scowl darkened my face. There was every change that this wasn't her way of accepting her wolf. This could very well be one last hurrah before the ritual to "cure" those that wished it. Maybe she didn't see me as a monster, after all it was what she had said. But that was no guarantee she was okay with being a "monster" herself.

Lydia was gone again, for what felt like the twentieth time since I came back to Breezehome. I huffed out an irritated breath as I put my armor on. It was likely she was out in the town talking to the citizens. It was a benefit for her to mingle when I was gone, but when I was actually home, it would have been nice to have a housecarl who was around.

The notion to run the distance to Winterhold and the tomb crossed my mind, but I decided against it. My wolf had not done anything wrong, and I felt bad for abandoning her, but I wanted little to do with the confusion of lycanthropy or Hircine. I was going to take advantage of my three-day deadline and walk. No carriages, no wolves, and plenty of time to think.

The road took me through the Pale and past Lake Yorgrim. Just past nightfall, as I drew closer to the water, I caught a strange scent on the wind. I paused to sniff the air, curious. The shifting currents of wind made it difficult to discern, but then it struck me that it was a scent I knew rather well, though it had been seventeen years since I last came across it. Suddenly I was ten years old again, hearing the laughter and revelry of a full-fed pack. Then I realized that I wasn't imagining it, and caught sight of firelight flickering in the distance.

My legs took me down the gentle slope of the hill before I even realized I was moving. Halfway down I stumbled into a run, startled yells meeting my sudden appearance. Then, as I fell flat on my face in front of the campfire, the yells turned into laughter.

Someone particularly loud hauled me up by the back of my pack roughly. "Look at this, Corrick! A stray pup!"

Corrick? I reached up and shoved the point of my knuckle into his wrist. "Not a stray, and not a pup," I snapped, whirling around when I was dropped so that I was facing all of them. "Now which one of you mange-pelts is from the Hjaalmarch pack?"

A rather large wolf stood from his seat on a dried-out stump by the fire. He grinned, showing gaps where his teeth had been knocked out in fights. Despite that, and the scars that marked the skin of his face and arms, his smile was genuine. Just like it had been so long ago.

"Now there is a voice I haven't heard in a very long time," he called, dropping his spit of venison to the side. "How's our little omega pup?"

"You know this omega, alpha?" a younger-looking wolf demanded. If I had to guess by his voice I'd have said he was about sixteen.

I growled a warning at the actual pup. "My name is Elayn, whelp. Use it with care."

His silver eyes lit up with fury and he tensed to spring. "What did you just call me?" he roared.

"Oh settle down, Tengan!" Corrick yelled good-naturedly. "She's survived this long without a pack; she could rip a runt like you to pieces."

"Whatever," the whelp muttered, and stalked out toward the lake.

I watched him go, eyes wide with amazement. "You're an alpha? How did an ugly old brute like you manage that?"

"For nigh on twelve years!" he said cheerfully. "So where have you been, pup?"

The remaining three wolves began to walk away, distracting me. One of them glanced back to yell, "We're going hunting, chief!"

I glanced up at the older wolf, suspicious. "Chief? I thought you were an alpha."

He shrugged in response. "My men call me whatever they want. That one used to be a bandit before I found him, and old habits die hard."

"Oh great, you adopt strays." I smirked slightly. "It's good to find someone who got away. I thought the whole pack was decimated."

His face grew dark. "We were. The vampires I could forget, but the damn humans…"

"Hm." I dropped my bag to the side and sat, drawing my knees up so I could rest my arms and warm my hands against the fire. "And this Tengan boy; where did he come from? The Riften sewers?"

"Ah, him." Corrick laughed. "That would be my son. He gets his temper from his mother."

I blinked. "Wow. I never thought you would be any good with children. The kicks and swats when I was younger were certainly misleading."

""You were the omega," he pointed out. "Besides, if you had grown up there, it wouldn't have been long before you moved up in the ranks."

I rolled my eyes. "What a glowing letter of recommendation."

"Oh hush." He sat back down on the stump. "So what brings you to the Pale?"

"Companion business," I muttered, folding my arms and tucking my chin over them. "I got mixed up with them a week ago and this should be the last errand I have to run."

He barked a laugh. "You and the Companions? I should have guessed you would end up with those screaming louts. What's this quest, then?"

I grunted, grabbing a stick so I could poke at the fire. "It's kind of complicated, but the general idea is witches, Hircine, and a cure for lycanthropy."

"A cure?" He leaned forward, eyes wide. "When did it become a disease?"

"Not everyone is cut out for this life, I guess." I poked at the fire again.

"Right…" He sat back again. 'Do you have time to stay for a day, then? I'm sure you could show the wolves a few things about survival." His voice became sly. "You could even teach Tengan some manners."

I groaned and looked up at him irritably. "I'll knock some sense into the boy, of course, but I'm happily mated to a she-wolf that could rip your throat out before you could blink. And she might try to set me up with your spawn," I added with a laugh.

"I'll settle for manners." He chuckled. "Do you need a tent or will you sleep in the open?"

I patted the bag sitting next to me. "I have a bedroll, but I will accept some of that venison."

"Help yourself."


	16. Chapter 16

"I don't know why we're not just hunting as wolves," the whelp complained for the third time since we left camp. "We could catch prey so much faster that way. And something bigger."

I growled irritably as the trap I was setting snapped, the green stick cutting into my hand. "Has your father not explained the basics of hunting, or were you too busy being pig-headed to listen?"

"I am not pig-headed!" he shouted, and every prey animal in the vicinity scattered.

It took several deep breaths and counting up to and down from ten before I could trust myself not to attack him. I stood and turned around, meeting the boy's eyes. As it stood, he was just as tall as I was, but that would change in the coming years. For now, it made it easier to make my irritation clear. He paled somewhat and stepped back. The quick surrender surprised me, and my anger ebbed quickly enough for me to calm, and even smile.

"Hunters feed on the prey animals," I said quietly. "Prey animals flee when they scent a hunter in their midst. When they flee, we can't hunt. Traps like these make it so they can be caught and killed without attracting too much attention. It allows us to stay in one place for longer, like when there are pregnant she-wolves that can't go too far. Does that make more sense to you?"

He frowned at me warily. Somehow I got the impression he had been expecting me to try and beat him. "I guess. So how does it work?"

I huffed out a laugh at the rapid change in attitude and motioned him to sit with me so I could show him. "The wire is thin enough not to be seen, so when it sits in a circle like that, the prey can't see it. When the rabbit or whatever you're hunting sticks it's head in, the wire tightens and kills it quickly enough."

He poked at the trap with a stick and yelped as the noose tightened just as I said it would, the green stick it was attached to snapping it into the air. "The alpha never taught me anything like this."

"I'm not surprised," I said, grinning. "He was always one of the fighters of the pack. There were other wolves better adept at trapping than he was, so he never bothered."

"You knew him when he was my age?" Tengan asked, looking up. I was struck by the innocence in his gaze that wasn't currently being hidden by anger.

I nodded. "About then. He had just turned eighteen years old when everything happened. Honestly, he was one of the more decent wolves. He might have messed with me, but he never took it too far."

"And you were okay with that?" the boy demanded. "Why didn't you fight back?"

"I was ten?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "I wasn't ready to fight back. If I had turned and attacked instead of running, they would have slaughtered me. Pack law is kind of harsh, but it has its place. I would have fought back when I was ready and proven myself."

He looked at the ground. "If I were there, I would have stopped them," he muttered. "Just because you're small doesn't mean they should be messing with you."

I clapped him on the shoulder and he looked up, eyes wide. "Good for you!" I said happily. "Loyalty and honor will suit you well one day, whether you run off to make your own pack like your father did or stick around."

"Could I run off?" He looked contemplative. "Run alone, like you?"

I laughed nervously. "That only worked out for me because I was the omega, and my situation was stranger than most. I was used to running and scrounging for food; staying unseen until I was sure I would be able to handle whatever was going on. Usually a lone werewolf has a limited lifespan after he leaves. But why wouldn't you want to lead your own? And why would you want to leave here?"

He shrugged, looking down again and busying himself with resetting the trap. "I guess don't want to be in charge of a bunch of wolves with nothing but carnage on their minds," he said eventually. "And I don't want to stay here. They're just as bad, and the alpha expects me to succeed him one day."

My face twisted in a grimace. "Corrick was never very good at dealing with other people. He probably hasn't noticed this yet."

"Why would he?" Tenga asked, scowling. "If he's not trying to beat something new into me, he's acting like I'm the worst disappointment to him. You're only out here with me because he thinks you can toughen me up."

"Ah you don't need it." I rose and pulled him to his feet as I did. "Your place in the pack is where your heart wishes to be. Some want to lead, some want to follow." The ramifications of what I said next flashed through my head even as I spoke the words, but still they came out. "You could always come with me when I leave."

He looked up, suspicious. "Why would you want me to join you?"

"You don't seem too bad, kid." I started off back toward the camp, and smiled as he followed immediately. "And maybe Serana and I could do with the extra wolf running with us." And he might be decent company if she decided to leave.


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning, I rose earlier than the rest to leave without being noticed. That, of course, didn't work. Tenga was waiting on a stump just outside the camp, looking expectant. "You didn't think you'd leave me here, did you?" he asked irritably.

I tousled his hair in reply. "Where's your alpha, then? He might take offense to you following me."

"The alpha is somewhat surprised you're leaving without saying goodbye." The blood rushed out of my face as I turned to see Corrick looking annoyed. "Care to explain what this is?"

"Well you see…"

"I'm leaving," Tenga said, stepping in front of me with his teeth bared. "Elayn is going to teach me how to be a better wolf than you have. I can't stay here anymore."

I was dead. "Look, Corrick, I-"

He made a slashing motion with his hand, and I cut off immediately. "Save it," he said, stepping forward. I fought the urge to step back. "I guessed something like this would happen when the boy wouldn't stop staring at you at dinner."

Surprisingly, he smiled, and even chuckled. "Maybe an old omega can teach him something I couldn't. Go with my blessing."

My head bowed in thanks, I turned around to leave. "That went well," Tengan said when we were out of earshot.

I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. "Tengan," I said, voice betraying the tension of the last few minutes. "You're very lucky your father was fond of me when I was the omega, and we lived in Hjaalmarch, because every other alpha I've met would have tried to kill both of us for that. Lesson one, wolves are territorial."

"Does that include your mate?" he asked innocently.

"Oh be quiet."

Just over the rise was the fork in the road that took us north-east and then north, heading straight for Winterhold. By midday we were in The Frozen Hearth in Winterhold, sitting in front of a roaring fire to get warm and drinking mead. The bartender, a Nord I didn't recognize, had given me an odd look when I ordered both tankards. I handed him the coin, pointedly ignoring him otherwise, and sat as obnoxiously as I could.

Despite my casual appearance, I kept sneaking glances at the door, and Tengan noticed. "Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, looking at the door now too.

"My mate," I said gruffly. "She ran the way on her own. I'm hoping she'll show up before the others do."

"Are you two fighting?" He hid his face behind his mug, but not before I caught the smirk on his face.

I scowled. "You're too clever for your own good."

When he didn't reply I sighed heavily and shifted lower in my chair. "I told you about this business with the Companions and the witches, right?"

He nodded. That had been one of the things I told him about during dinner when he refused to stop asking me questions.

"Well. I'm worried what she'll choose to do." I grimaced. "If there is a cure…"

"You're worried she'll take it?" he asked, finishing my sentence.

I nodded, and took a long drink from the tankard in my hand. "I don't know what to do."

He shrugged, and we waited in silence. It wasn't too much later that the door opened again, in a swirl of snow that must have started up after we got there. It was also much darker outside. The new arrival was clad in armor most might have considered too thin for the storm outside, but I recognized her immediately.

"Serana!" I stood, very suddenly, knocking my chair to the ground. Before she could say anything, I grabbed her in a hug. "I was worried, damn it."

"How did you get here before me?" she demanded, voice muffled by my shoulder. "I left before you."

I leaned back a bit, grinning. "Judging by the scent on you, I'd say you stopped to hunt." My voice was low, as not to attract attention. "I'm glad you did."

She smiled at me, the expression somehow strange, and the earlier feelings of terror came rushing back. I refused to pay attention to them, though, in favor of focusing on my other half coming back again. There was too little time left to panic, now that she was here.

Serana looked down at the boy she had not met yet, who had yet to rise. "And who is this?"

The whelp sullenly did not respond. "Tengan," I said, giving him a hard look. "He's following us for the time being. His manners could use a bit of work."

"My manners are fine!" he protested. "I just don't want to make your mate angry as soon as she sees me!"

"Then don't talk like I'm not here?" Serana suggested, steel in her voice.

"Wolves, apart," I snapped, and sighed heavily. "Tengan, greet my mate properly, please."

He stood and held up his hand in a submissive gesture, a loose fist with his wrist facing up. At my nod, Serana tapped the hand with her own. It wasn't a ritual she had done before, since we had never had a new member to our little group.

"Welcome to the pack," she said quietly, and the air around us calmed..

"Thank the Nine you two aren't at each other's throats," I muttered. "I'm going to get another round."

I left them for a moment, mugs in hand. Serana was openly watching Tengan, but she didn't seem threatened. And he didn't seem too nervous. That was good. Typical human tradition was just a nod and a handshake, but werewolves acted a little differently. The wolfblood gave a bit of help with that, and being raised in a pack was certainly teaching, but Serana had only been one of us for so long. I had a reason to be concerned.

But they weren't fighting, so I walked back with the drinks. "So did I ever tell either of you about this mudcrab I found in the Rift?"


	18. Chapter 18

The Companions were the last to arrive, and tempers seemed high. When Aela was the first to storm inside, followed by an aggravated Farkas and a fed-up Vilkas, my attention was piqued. Much like that of the few others inside the tavern. The appearance of several large looking warriors had several of said patrons quickly leaving.

The acting Harbinger caught my look and shook his head tiredly. "Aela wanted to run the whole way," he explained under his breath as he came to sit by me. "Farkas and I were against it, being so close to ending this, and she was angry throughout the entire walk."

"She's not very disciplined," I said quietly. "Keep an eye on her once this is done."

"So who's the pup?" Aela asked, rather loudly and pointedly.

I shot Tengan a look that suggested he keep his head down and his mouth shut for a moment. "He joined our pack," I told her, voice firm. "His name is Tengan."

"So are you looking for a cure too?" She sat in another of the chairs, watching him carefully, and completely ignoring my less-than-subtle hint for her to not involve him.

His reply made me proud. "I'm here to help my alpha," he said evenly. "Not to excuse myself to half-bloods like you."

"Half-bloods?" Serana asked, leaning over to whisper in my ear. "What does that mean?"

I shook my head once, watching the exchange carefully.

"What did you call me?" Aela growled.

"A half-blood." He took another drink of mead. "You know, a werewolf that has to beg their gift from Hircine or another wolf instead of inheriting it. A wolf that had to learn how to run when they were old enough that they should have known it instinctively."

The Huntress snarled wordlessly. "You should speak to your elders with more respect, pup."

"And you should learn not to pick a fight with another pack," I said, setting my tankard down with a heavy thud. "That is my pack-mate, Aela. I won't tolerate you challenging him while I stand here. Or do you think your position makes you immune to my claws?"

She stood very suddenly, furious. "If you think I'm going to sit here and-"

"Sit down, Shield-Sister," Vilkas snapped. "You're dishonoring yourself and Kodlak's name with this behavior." Her eyes grew wide with fury as she realized he was repeating the same words she had spoken to Farkas. He ignored her ire and continued. "Save the fight for after we have dealt with this."

The barkeep, who was looking more nervous by the minute, spoke up. "Perhaps you fine warriors could come back another time," he said, feigning cheer I knew he didn't feel. "It sounds like you're here on business anyway."

"He's right." Farkas stood. "We need to go."

And out went the wolves, following the road to the ocean where it ended very suddenly. Tengan found a nearby fishing boat, and coin was left in its place as we began the trip across to the water to the bit of land where Ysgramor's Tomb lay. A rather hostile sabercat that must have gotten trapped there attacked us as we neared, but was quickly felled by several blades and an arrow to the belly.

Inside the tomb was a great statue of Ysgramor, flanked by two braziers. He held his fist out as though the statue was meant to hold something. I glanced at Wuuthrad and nudged Vilkas. "Put the ax in the statue's hand," I told him. "I've seen puzzles like these. It might work."

It did indeed. A door on the east wall suddenly slid open. "Let's go," Vilkas said, taking the ax back and striding toward the newly revealed passage.

We were met by skeevers and ghosts, but nothing particularly dangerous. Even further on, down a flight of stairs, was a room with a large sarcophagus in the middle of the floor and two more at the far end. Ghosts appeared then, seeming to climb from the coffins to attack us.

As we began to move forward, Tengan broke from the group rather suddenly and dashed toward a board against the wall. He grabbed something from it and ran back. "Look what I found!"

I examined the dagger, eyebrows raised. "Well now, you've certainly found something interesting. It looks like Dwemer metal, but the design is all wrong." I handed it back. "You should keep it. It makes for a better weapon than the iron dagger you have."

His current weapon was cast aside, replaced by the strange dagger on his belt. Again we moved forward, and soon came across a rather large amount of cobwebs. "Great," I growled. "Just what we needed. Frostbite Spiders."

"I hate those damn things," Farkas muttered. I was surprised to hear the great Nord shaken up by one of them. He noticed my face and glowered. "Nothing with that many legs should ever be that big."

"Then we'll kill it, and it won't be a problem anymore," Serana said, walking past. "We'd better hurry."

I didn't dwell on the reason she wanted to move quickly, a little more focused on the spiders inside the next chamber and the rather large one that descended from the ceiling. They too were slaughtered quickly enough. Although, Tengan stopped to collect some of the venom and eggsacs. I didn't question it, and we kept moving.

Little else stood in our way for very long as we made our way to the final resting place of the great Ysgramor. A brazier with flame that blazed blue stood in the very center of the room, and beside it…

"Kodlak!"


	19. Chapter 19

When I had first met the Harbinger, he had long since begun to decline in strength. His massive frame hinted at long-lost strength, but the hint had not been enough. The ghost that stood before us was Kodlak as he had been in his prime, standing tall and proud with a great-sword strapped to his back. He smiled proudly at the Circle members, but his nod of thanks went to me.

"You have done well, Companions," he said, voice booming from the apparition. "But your task is not yet done. One of the heads of the Glenmoril Witches must be thrown into the fire, and my wolf spirit called. When it is slain, I will be able to ascend to Sovngarde untouched by Hircine."

I stepped forward, pulling one of the bags containing a Hagraven heads from the side of my pack, and threw the blasted thing into the flames. A hideous shriek tore through the still air of the coffin and the spirit of a wolf appeared, red as a bloodmoon. It growled threateningly, stymied for a moment by ours numbers, and then attacked.

It was Vilkas that charged forward to meet the beast, Wuuthrad held high. The ax crashed into the side of the wolf spirit, knocking it against the far wall with a thud reminiscent of something flesh and blood, and not magic. It lay there, stunned, and only began to struggle to its feet as the Companion approached. The creature did not move fast enough, and dissipated with an unearthly howl when Wuuthrad cut down where its neck should be.

When the noise died down, the silence was broken again by a booming laugh from Kodlak. "Excellent!" he cried. "You have exceeded my hopes; all of you. But there is still a matter of the next leader of the Companions to be decided."

He stepped closer to Vilkas, who knelt as the Nord approached. "I see by the ax you carry that you have decided for yourself that this man should be my successor, but I would name you in the sight of the warriors of Sovngarde. Vilkas, stand, as Harbinger of the Companions."

The wolf stood, face abnormally solemn. Kodlak chuckled. "Smile a little, Vilkas. The work we have done in the past decade comes to a close here and now." He faced the rest of us. "Those of you that would rid yourself of this curse, please, do so with my blessing."

I tightened my hand on Tengan's shoulder warning when I felt him draw in breath, likely to be rather rude. "Let the Companions decide first. It is they who have suffered here."

"Very well." Kodlak bowed his head. "Goodbye, my friends." His spirit faded away, leaving those that remained to decide.

Farkas was the first to step forward, and it was he that killed his wolf spirit. As the echoes of its dying howl faded away, his face lit up with exultation. "I can't feel it anymore!"

It, I thought with grim amusement. Pathetic pup.

Expectant gazes turn to Aela, who scowled. "I've made my opinion of this clear, by now," she said stiffly. "I was here for Kodlak, and none else. This 'curse' is a blessing to me, and I won't forsake it."

Vilkas glanced at me before speaking. "We should go back to Jorrvaskr, and see to affairs there. Farewell, Elayn."

I tilted my head to him as he and his Companions walked out of the tomb chamber, leaving Serana, Tenga, and I alone. "If you want to cure yourself, now is your chance," I said grudgingly, shoving one of the bags toward my mate.

She looked from me, to the bag, and back again. "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you want to find a cure for being a werewolf?" Tengan demanded. "Elayn said that was why you ran here yourself instead of going with her."

Serana stared at me, shocked and a little annoyed. "Is that really what you think I was doing? Don't you listen?"

There was a bit of bone on the floor I found suddenly to be the most interesting thing in the world, and focused on that. She blew out a frustrated breath "I went running so I could see if I could control myself, but I didn't want you to be there if I failed. Obviously, I didn't, and as soon as I was sure I wouldn't, I came and found you."

"This is why you shouldn't leave me alone," I said, grinning sheepishly. "I get kind of stupid when I worry."

"I'll keep that in mind."


	20. Chapter 20

For the last week we had been running in the marshes of the Rift, after Tengan had dared me to find a mudcrab as big as the one I had been boasting about. Eventually even I got tired of all fours and wet paws, and we changed back so we could walk into Riften. Well, we could have as wolves, but there would have been carnage and screaming old ladies. It was just simpler to let everyone think we were normal.

Carnage was not to be avoided. As soon as we walked into the market, I was confronted by strange men and mer wearing strange masks. "You there! You're the one they call Dragonborn?" the mer demanded.

"Aye," I said, lip curled. "What do you want?"

"Your lies fall on deaf ears, Deceiver! The True Dragonborn comes, and you are but his shadow. When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness. None shall stand to oppose him!"

They attacked, and were quickly felled by a well-placed dagger by Tengan and a handful of angered guards. "What was that?" Serana demanded as the last one slid from a blade, and the guards dispersed.

"Lord Miraak…" I muttered, picking up a scrap of paper that had fallen from the fist of the mer. "That name sounds familiar. And this says they came from Solstheim."

Tengan snatched the bit of paper, eyes wide. "So what now?"

"Back to Solstheim, I guess." I chuckled. "To Raven's Rock."

* * *

Yes my friends, there will be more of these lovable morons.


End file.
